The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year

“A marvelous debut…Sometimes it takes the right nudge to fall in love with books.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“This quirky tale filled with subtle humor makes a fun read-aloud, especially for cat lovers, literacy lovers, or anyone looking for a great story.” —School Library Journal (starred review)

It’s not easy to teach a cat to read, but one boy tries to anyway in this sweet and silly picture book debut that captures the challenges and rewards of learning to read.

Nick loves to read books—and he loves to play with his cats, Verne and Stevenson. So naturally Nick decides it’s a great idea to teach his cats to read. But Verne and Stevenson don’t appreciate when Nick wakes them up with a flashcard that says NAP. Nick finally piques Verne’s interest with words like MOUSE and FISH. But not Stevenson’s. While Nick and Verne go to the library, Stevenson hides under the porch. Will Nick ever find a way to share his love of reading with his feline friends?

Curtis Manley liked stories with cats when he was young, but never tried to teach his cat Inky to read. When his daughter came along years later, she also liked stories with cats—and stories with mice! Curtis grew up in Pennsylvania but now lives near Seattle, Washington, with his wife, daughter, and just one cat. The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read is his first picture book. Visit him at CurtisManley.com.

Kate Berube is an illustrator who grew up in Connecticut and now lives all the way on the other side of the country in Portland, Oregon. Formerly a bookseller at the well-known Powell’s in Portland, Kate now writes and draws in a room filled with zero cats, but lots of books, dog hair, and a one-eyed dog who still cannot read despite all of Kate’s best efforts. Find out more about her at KateBerube.com.